The Waste Age Wire is an e-mail newsletter from the Waste Age magazine staff, designed to provide you with a quick view of news, events and upcoming magazine topics. For in-depth news coverage, visit WasteAge.Com.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Opinion Poll

News:

- McCormick Resigns as ATA President

- Court Finds Three Virginia Waste Laws Unconstitutional

- European Union Directives Aimed at Recycling Electronics

- Waste Management Announces New Trading Group

- Illinois Budget Includes Balefill Buyout Proposal

NewsBriefs: Acquisitions, Announcements, Awards, etc.

Events

Highlights from Waste Age's June issue

OPINION POLL:

What is recycling’s pay-off?

a) revenue; b) environmental benefits; c) both; d) other

E-mail your comments to [email protected].

OPINION POLL RESULTS:

What is your business' most serious challenge?

You said: 45 percent, finding good employees; 22 percent, declining revenues; 11 percent, regulations; other, 22 percent

Additional opinion poll comments included:

"Finding good employees. This applies to employees and to contractors that we hire. Qualified workers do not last long beyond their training period because the work is not "satisfying," or the competition offers easier money and better benefits. … Also, the pools of laborers that are willing to forego the benefit of a permanent job for an easy day’s pay has eroded the options for employees seeking a long-term career or a chance to advance."

— Ray Hillebrand, Recycling Administrator, Louisville, Ky.

"Other. [It’s difficult] continuing to provide medical insurance as a fringe benefit in the face of astronomical increases in coverage costs every year. For our firm, the increase this year (renewal in July) will be 13 percent, which follows an 18 percent hike last year. Both rate increases were accompanied by a decrease in benefits, i.e.: higher deductible and higher co-pay, combined with fewer choices of providers. The medical insurance leeches are worse than the government and appear to be operating completely out of control.

— Tom Moore, Tri-State Engineering, Joplin, Mo.

NEWS:

McCormick Resigns as ATA President

Alexandria, Va. — Walter B. McCormick Jr. announced his resignation June 1 as the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA), Alexandria, Va., president and CEO. He will head the United States Telecomm Association, Washington, D.C. ATA senior vice president William Canary will serve as interim president and CEO for the trucking association.

Court Finds Three Virginia Waste Laws Unconstitutional

Richmond, Va. — An appeals court has ruled that three state laws designed to restrict out-of-state waste violate the U.S. Constitution, but a fourth law is headed to trial. The laws, enacted in 1999 but never enforced, would have restricted the amount of waste a landfill could accept, placed special regulations on large trucks hauling waste and prohibited the use of barges to transport waste to Virginia.

European Union Directives Aimed at Recycling Electronics

Europe — The European Parliament has cleared two electronics recovery directives, one requiring European Union countries to mandate "take-back" legislation on a variety of electronics; and the other, ROHS, restricting certain substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium in electronics. Concerns arose as to how standardization would occur because the 22-member countries all have different collection procedures.

Waste Management Announces New Trading Group

Houston — Waste Management Inc. has created a new pulp and paper trading group. Transactions through the group will not occur until the third quarter of 2001, when the company has complete implementation of standard trading control systems.

Illinois Budget Includes Balefill Buyout Proposal

Springfield, Ill. — Legislators put $7 million in state money toward a buyout of the Bartlett balefill site owned by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC). The state previously had $15 million to offer SWANCC so that the agency wouldn't build on the land, but SWANCC says it has spent nearly $30 million finding a site for the balefill since receiving the permit more than 16 years ago. Also included in the budget is an offer to let SWANCC develop the outer portions of the land and earn nearly $9 million, bringing the total to $31 million. The budget now goes to Illinois Governor George Ryan's desk for approval.

NEWSBRIEFS: Alliances, Contest, Donation, etc.

Alliances

- Actio Corp., Hampton, N.H., has formed a partnership with Brady Corp., Milwaukee, to provide a real-time, web-based hazardous communication (HazCom) labeling system.

- Fedmarket.com, Tempe, Ariz., has appointed Environmental Support Solutions (Environ.com), Ketchum, Idaho, as its environmental compliance expert.

- Amerimulch, Independence, Ohio, has partnered with Term-A-Rid 613, North East, Md., to produce mulch, made with the Term-A-Rid 613 formula, which is designed to control termites to protect the wood.

Contest

- To celebrate production of its half-millionth skid-steer loader, Bobcat Co., West Fargo, N.D., has announced a giveaway contest for equipment users willing to share stories about their skid-steer equipment. Contact: Wanda Roath. Phone: (701) 280-7845. E-mail: [email protected].

Donation

- Bandag Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has pledged $50,000 to support the International Tire and Rubber Association Foundation Inc. (ITRA), Louisville, Ky. The donation will enable ITRA to provide grant scholarships and educational support, the association says.

Industry Research

- The Energy Information Administration, an independent analytical agency in the U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., has released its annual report entitled, "Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases, 1999." To view the report, visit www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/vrrpt/index.html.

Internet

- Benson International Inc., Mineral Wells, W.Va., has revised its website, www.bensonintl.com, to include a dealer directory and inventory listing.

- Red Valve Co. Inc., Carnegie, Pa., has launched a new website, www.redvalve.com.

- Fleetcommunity.com, Chicago, has launched its e-mail benchmarking service for fleet leaders. The company also has formed an alliance with Arsenault Associates, Atco, N.J., to provide maintenance technology to Fleetcommunity.com members.

Name Change

- Deere Power Systems Group, Waterloo, Iowa, has changed its name to John Deere Power Systems.

EVENTS:

June 24-26, 2001

2001 Paper Recycling Conference and Trade Show

Chicago. Contact: Recycling Today Media Group, 4012 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44113. Phone toll-free: (800) 456-0707. Fax: (216) 961-0364. Website: www.RecyclingToday.com.

June 24-28, 2001

2001: An Environmental Odyssey

Orlando, Fla. Contact: Air &Waste Management Association. Phone toll-free: (800) 270-3444, then press 5. Website: www.awma.org/ace2001.

June 25-29, 2001

Managing Hazardous Waste in New York

Buffalo, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Albany, N.Y.; White Plains, N.Y.; and Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Contact: Lion Technology Inc., P.O. Box 700, Lafayette, N.J. 07848. Phone: (973) 383-0800. Fax: (973) 579-6818. E-mail: [email protected].

June 26-27, 2001

Environmental Industry Associations/Environmental Research and Education Foundation "Reducing Ergonomic Risks to the Solid Waste Employee"

Jacksonville, Fla. Contact: Cathy Maimon, meetings department. Phone toll-free: (800) 424-2869.

June 27, 2001

National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Minnesota Trash Can Open

Contact: Peggy Macenas, NSWMA Midwest region manager. Phone toll-free (800) 679-6269.

June 27, 2001

Advances in Odor Control &Recycling Technologies and New York State Chapter Annual Meeting

Hillburn, N.Y. Contact: Ted Pytlar, Jr., c/o Dvirka &Bartilucci Engineers, 330 Crossways Park, Woodbury, N.Y. 11797. Phone: (908) 668-4747.

June 27-29, 2001

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics

Norfolk, Va. Contact: Pat Picariello, ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, Pa. 19428-2959. Phone: (610) 832-9720. E-mail: [email protected].

June 27-29, 2001

2001 International Trucking Show

Las Vegas. Contact: Roger Sherrard, ITS Management, 1155 Chess Dr. #102, Foster City, Calif. 94404. Phone toll-free: (800) 227-5992. E-mail: [email protected].

July 11-12, 2001

National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Indiana Chapter Golf Tournament

Indiana. Contact: Peggy Macenas, NSWMA Midwest region manager. Phone toll-free: (800) 679-6269.

July 12, 2001

National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Carolinas Chapter Golf Tournament

Asheville, N.C. Contact: Cathy Maimon, meetings department. Phone toll-free: (800) 424-2869.

IN WASTE AGE'S JUNE ISSUE:

Features:

- Clicks and Mortar: Tips on building an e-commerce strategy.

- Leachate Flow Control: One landfill's study of a bioreactor leachate collection and removal system.

- Ripping into It: The latest in shredder technology.

Business Trends:

- Congress May Get Tough on Busted-Small Firms

- Using Your Insurance To Close a Deal

- Have Your Ducks in a Row Before a Crisis

Business Briefs:

- New Japanese Recycling Law Takes Effect

- WMI and Sharps Create Safe Syringe Disposal Pilot

- Federal Brownfields Funding Focus Shifts

Columnists:

- Circular File: Recycling's Mid-Life Crisis, by Chaz Miller

- Legal: Guilt Bars Federal Gelt, by Barry Shanoff

- Profiles in Garbage: Steel Cans, by Chaz Miller

Waste Age Product News:

- Uplifting Experiences: The latest in carts, arms and lifters.

- Keeping Tight: A sample of products to keep landfills from leaking and slopes from slipping.

- Product Specifications: Truck Chassis

- New Products: A look at new waste-industry products.